Controllable headlight-screen



W. A. SCHROEDER.

CONTROLLABLE HEADLIGHT SCREEN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5. 1920.

Reissued Apr. 12, 1921. 15,088.

4 SHEETSSHEET I.

INVENTOR flfzzzamdfl izmedey I A TTORNEYS W. A. SCHROEDER.

CONTROLLABLE HEADLIGHT SCREEN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-5, I920- Reissued Apr. 12, 1921.

15,088. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR w. A. SCHROEDER.

CONTROLLABLE HEADLiGHT SCREEN.

APPLICATION FILED m1 5, 1920.

Beissued Apr. 12, 1921. 15,088@

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- AT RNEYS W. A. SCHROEDEB.

CONTROLLABLE HEADLIGHT SCREEN. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1920.

l-imssued Apr. 12, 1921. i I 15,088.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- INVENTOR ffzllzaiiz fiflckroea'er Z :Y V ATTORNEYS UNITED- STATES WILLIAM A. SCHROEDER. 0F SEATTLE. WASHINGTON.

CONTROLLABLE HEADLIGHT-SCREEN.

Specification of Reissued Letters Patent. Reissued Ap 12 1921 Original No. 1,305,498, dated June 3, 1919, Serial No. 209,030, filed December 27, 1917. Application for I reissue filed January 5, 1920. Serial No. 349,610.

To (INJIIIUI)! it may concern:

Be it known that I \VJLLIAM A. Sonnonnnn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Seattle, county of King, and State of Washington, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Controllablc Headlight-Screens, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to headlights such as are employed on automobiles and consists of a screening or shielding device which may be used to prevent the light from shining over as wide'an area as it would ordinarily occupy and thus prevent the glare extending to the point where it might be dangerous to parties coming toward the automobile from the front.

The object of my invention is thus to contract the area of the beam of light and in a measure cut off a portion thereof and prevent its spreading too far.

My invention comprises the novel parts and combinations thereof which will be here inafter described and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention in the form of construction which is now most preferred by-me.

Figure 1. is a horizontal section or plane through the center of the headlight and my device as applied thereto, the screen members being shown in their opened position.

Fig. 2 is a similar section but showing the screen members in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the device with the outer casing removed to'thus show the working parts.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the outer casing showing the reflector proper and the screen operating mechanisms in elevation.

Figs. 5 and; are front views of the device showing in the one case the screen members thrown forwardly and in the other case thrown outwardly.

Fig. 7 is a rear view of the parts by which the rotation of the screen is secured.

Fig. 8 is a perspective of the rotative disk upon'which the cam flange is secured.

Fig. 9 shows in perspective the ratchet mechanism which is secured to the cam disk.

Fig. 10 shows the oscillating member which carries the pawls by which the ratchet device and the cam disk are turned.

tionare common to a great variety of headlights. The electric light 13 is placed centrally toward the back part of the reflector after the usual practice.

Two screen members 2 are placed within the reflector. these being of such shape that when they are in their open position they form substantially a continuation of and form a section of the reflecting surface of the reflector. The are shown in this position in Fig. 1. These screen members are hinged at 20, the arm 21 passing through slots 15 formed in the wall of the reflector, and the pivot 20 being'to the rear side of the reflector. The reflector itself is preferably provided with a slight recess 14 of a siz and shape to receive the body of the screen members 2 when the latter are swung outwardly. In this case the inner contour of the reflector'is maintained true and regular when the screen members are swung outward and back, as their outer surfaces substantially conform to the contour of the reflector.

Extending rearwardly from the pivot 20 of the screen member, are two arms, 22 and 23. ()ne of these, as the arm 23, is rigid with the arm 21, while the other arm 22 is passed. is a disk 3 whichhas thereon a cam flange 30. This cam flange has a number of lobes therein and extends between the two arms 22 and 23 of the screen members. If the disk 3 be given a step-by-step rotation or forward turning movement, the arms has thereon a flange having a series of teeth forming a ratchet wheel. Mounted to oscillate upon the sleeve 4 is a ring-like memher 5 which has short arms upon which are mounted pawls 51, these being positioned to engage with the teeth 40 of'the ratchet wheel. Springs 52 return this ring toits normal position after it has been actuated by the mechanism to be described for operat ing the device.

The number of teeth in the ratchet wheel corresponds with the total number of inner and outer lobes inthe cam ring 30. As herein. shown, this amounts to eight, giving eight different positions for the screen members caused by one complete rotation of the disk 3, four" of these being outward positions or that in which thescreen members conform to the curvature of the reflector, as shown in Fig. 1, and the other that in which they are swung forward to screen the light, as shown in Fig. 2.

These mechanisms are supported upon a.

plate 6 and brackets 60 complemental thereto, which are shown in perspective in Fig. 11. These parts have arms 61 and 6 2, which are secured to the rear surface of the reflector 1. xAlsosecured to the rear surface of the reflector are two solenoids ,7, these constituting the means by which the mechanism is actuated. These solenoids have their cores 70 projecting,. ach being secured to a bell crank lever 71, of which the other end engages a pin 72 carried by the oscillating ring 5 which pin is the pivot pin for a pawl, 51. Thesprings 52, by which the ring 5 is returned to its normal position, acts also to pull outwardly the cores of the solenoid. While I have shown two solenoids, it is evident that one, if .of suflicient power, will sufiice.

When the current is turned on to the solenoid coil, the core 70 is drawn inwardly, thus oscillatin the ring 5 and advancing the cam disk 3 su cient to cause a movement of the disk so as to shift its engagement with the arms 22 and 23 from an outer to an inner part of a lobe of the cam flange, or vice versa, depending upon which was before in engagement therewith. In other words, if an outerv portion of a lobe of the cam flange 30 is in engagement with the levers 22 and 23, the disk will be turned so as to engage the same with the inner portion of a lobe of the cam flange. In this way a solenoid is capable of being used for shifting the screen members from either position into the other.

The button or switch by which the current of the solenoid is controlled may be located at any convenient point.

The operation of the deviceis evident. If the screen is in the outer position, or as shown in Fig. 1, energizing of the solenoids cause them to swing the screen members into the inner position, or that shown in Fig. 2, in which position they remain until the sole-.. noid has been again energized. When this happens they are swung to the outer position where they remain until the solenoids again act.

A pawl 8 is mounted upon the plate 6 and drops into recesses 41 which are formed in the body of the sleeve 4 upon which. the

ratchet teeth 40 are placed. This pawl serves to prevent accidental movement of the parts. It is engaged by a pin 81 on one of the pawls 51 to lift it out of its notch and thus free the sleeve 4; of the beginning of the forward movement of the ring 5. To secure this result the pawl 51 is so mounted and actuated that it moves a certain distance before it engages its ratchet 40 and. during the first partof its travel it en ges the end 80 of the pawl 8 to throw this end inward and thus move outward the locking end of the pawl before the pawl strikes the ratchet teeth 40.

When the screens are in their open position, they will lie flush with and form a constituent part of the mainreflector, so that the light will be projected forwardly in a substantially parallel beam and in the manner common to reflectors of this type. 'W hen, however, the screens are brought into very close position, as indicated in Fig. 2, they will intercept the rays of light directed toward th main reflector, and will occupy such positions'in relation to one another, and to the source of illumination that they will in themselves 1 constitute reflectors designed to reflect rays of light back and forth between themselves and to reflect the light thus intensified in lateral directions on each side of the headlight, so that the road immediately'in front of the car will be fully illuminated without thereby projecting any of the light in a forward direction or in a manner to dazzle the eyes of the driver of an approaching machine.

From the above, it will be evident that the screens performa double function in servwhich would otherwise fallupon the surface of. the main or outer reflector, and at the same time perform the function of closely spaced reflectors to laterally project the rays of light to points in close proximity to the headlight itself. I

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a headlight of a pair of screens pivoted at opposite sides of the light to swing toward and from each other and having operating arms extending rearwardly of their pivots, of a cam member engaging said arms, a ratchet wheel secured to said cam member, reciprocatively mounted pawls for turning said wheel and solenoids connected with and actuating said pawls.

2. The combination with pivoted light screens each having a pair of operating arms projecting from their pivot, a rotative disk having a cam flange projecting from its face and entering between the pairs of arms, a ratchet wheel secured to the cam disk, an oscillating member carrying driving pawls,

and a solenoid having its core actuatively connected with said oscillating member.

3. In a headlight, the combination of the source of illumination, a concave reflector, and two reflector screens, one pivoted on each side of the source of illumination, each screen being pivoted at a point near its rear inner edge in a manner to permit it to be swung from a position in which its surface is substantially coincident with the surface of the reflector to the screening position in which the screens occupy opposed positions closely adjacent to the source of illumination, the configuration of the screens being such. as to allow an unobstructed passage of rays of light directly forward from the source of illumination when the screens are closed, and to reflect laterally those rays of light which are emitted in the lateral directions from the source of illumination, substantially as described.

4. In a headlight, the combination of a source of illumination, an outer reflector, and a pair 0f-'.:'1Cljustable reflector screens, vertically pivoted on the opposite sides of the source of illumination, and means whereby the screens when in open position are adapted to lie substantially flush with and constitute a portion of the outer reflecting surface, and when moved to closed position are adapted to present their forward edges in a position to intercept rays of light and screen the major portion of the outer reflecting surface, said screens being concavely formedto reflect rays of light back and forth from one to the other and to project rays of light laterally and downwardly to afford illumination at a point closely in advance of the headlight, substantially as described.

5. In a headlight, the combination of a source of illumination, an outer reflector of substantially parabolic formation, and a. pair of adjustable reflector screens, elongated in a vertical direction, and dished elongated space adjacent the source of illu- ,m1nat1on, the forward edges of the screens.

projecting beyond the source of illumination on opposite sides thereof, leaving the forwardly projected rays of light unobstructed, and affording reflecting surfaces for reflecting rays of light laterally, substantially as described.

6. In a headlight, the combination of a source of illumination, and a pair of verti-v cally pivoted screens adjustably mounted with respect to the source of illumination, said screens being of dished or concave configuration adapted when in open position to project rays of light forwardly, and adapted when closed to occupy positions closely contiguous to thesource of illumination, and to reflect rays of light laterally, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a parabolic headlight reflector, of a source of illumination within the reflector, and two vertically elongated reflecting screens 'verticall pivoted adjacent to and at opposite sides 0 the lamp to swing forwardly and backwardly toward or away from the focal point, said screens in their rear position constituting a portion of the main reflecting surface and having a curvature conformable therewith, the screens extendingin their forward position to obscure substantially the entire surface of the main reflector and themselves constituting reflecting surfaces for reflecting the light to form outwardly diverging rays, their forward edges occupying positions laterally of the source of illumination and permitting the forward projection of directly emitted rays of light, substantially as described.

8. In-a headlight, in combination, a source of light, a pair of hinged reflector plates flanking the source of light and so curved as to both lie in a single concavev plane of curvature when spread apart and to laterally diffuse the light ra s when draw inwardly, 110 and a concave re ector surrounding said plates and having surface portions complementary to the surfaces of said plates in their spread apart position.

9. In a headlight, in combination of a source of illumination; a mounting therefor, a pair of reflector lates vertically hinged one on either side of the source of illumination and to the rear thereof, each reflector plate being of dished configuration and presentmg its concave face toward the source of illumination, said plates being adapted to be spread apart to constitute oppositelydisposed cooperating reflecting surfaces designed to project rays of light forwardly, and said plates being mounted to swing to an inner position in which their respective outer margins stand in outwardly bowed relation to one another with their u per and lower edges closely contiguous a ove and below the source of illumination, and with their outwardly bowed centers in laterally spaced relation to the source of illumination, thereby permitting the forward projection of direct rays from the source of illumination and serving to laterally reflect the obliquely, projected rays from said source,

substantially as described.

10. In a headlight, in combination of a source of illumination, a mounting therefor,

a pair of reflector plates vertically hinged one. on either side of the source of illumination and to the rear thereof, each reflector plate being of dished configuration and prevsenting its concave face toward the source of illumination, said plates being adapted to be spread apart to constitute oppositely disposed cooperating reflecting surfaces designed to project rays of light forwardly,

the sections having a curvature and occupylng such relative positions when opened as to present reflecting surfaces like ,in character to corresponding portions of a continuous concave reflector, and said plates being mounted to swing to an inner position in which their respective outer margins stand in outwardly bowed relation to one another with their u per and lower edges closely contiguous a ove and below the source of illumination, and with/their outwardly bowed centers in laterally spaced relation to the source of illumination, thereby permitting the forward projection of direct rays from the source of illumination and serving to laterally reflect the obliquely projected rays from said source, substantially as described.

WILLIAM A. SCHROEDER. 

